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Topic: Window period (Read 5871 times)

I was tested for HIV at Primary Health, which is like an HMO, just because I wanted to know my status. My results were negative but I received them over the phone. However, I have heard some clinics say that HiV results are not given over the phone. I know doctors can't lie about test results but I just want to know if my way of receiving negative results was normal and trustworthy.

I know this is a weird question but I just want to be sure. Please respond and thank you to whoever does!

It varies from place to place, but in general HIV results should not be given over the telephone. Pre and post test counselling form an important part of the HIV testing process. It's an opportunity for the clinician to assess if you were at any risk and to determine you're level of knowledge about HIV transmission.

I totally agree with Matty that your test results are still valid. While giving results over the phone is not considered good practice, I do not believe there is actually a law against it. I know plenty of people, both negative and positive, who received their results - accurate results - over the phone. In fact, over the phone is the only way to receive Home Access results.

As long as your test was performed three months past your last incident of unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse, you are conclusively hiv negative. Protect your negative status by using condoms.

You need to be using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, every time, no exceptions until such time as you are in a securely monogamous relationship where you have both tested for ALL STIs together. To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with a sexually transmitted infection.

Have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence. If you are a woman, check out the links on the left hand side of either of those two pages where you can read about the female condom. Please also follow the Lessons links found in the Welcome Thread

Anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results. Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I guess it just kind of freaked me out because when I was doing some research it seemed like most every place was like, YOU CANNOT GET HIV TEST RESULTS OVER THE PHONE. And when I knew I had gotten mine via phone, I guess it still made me doubt my status.

Does anyone know why some clinics, like mine, even bother giving negative results by phone? If it helps, I was at a low to zero risk when I was tested, so I guess that could be a reason.

In the country where I live (Switzerland) it is quite normal to get there result over the phone. The Zurich University hospital, infectious disease dept. (one of the leading research institutions in Switzerland) offers this as the rule.

You do the test, get a code, wait 24 hours , call and tell the code (or your name) and youŽll have the result. If it is negative it is a short conversation. If itŽs positive youŽll be put you to a counselor.

The risk assessment and education is done beforehand!

There are other institutions in Switzerland who only give the result face to face.

I think the way it is handled is by the assessments whats the best for the patients.

No, you should not worry about getting your results over the phone at all. Despite it not being considered "best practice", some clinics use this method of relaying test results simply because it is more cost effective. One staff member can give out results for far many more people over the phone in an hour than they could if they had to take up office time and space to do the same thing. It's nothing to worry about.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Hi, I hope I'm not breaking any rules by joining a thread that isn't mine with my own question.

So I was reading this information and I just wanted to confirm-- so if someone performs fellatio on a man it's extremely likely that the saliva in her mouth would destroy any HIV living in it? Is that why HIV transmission through giving a blowjob is so rare?

Hey, I'm back. I had one other question and this one was more just out of curiosity. If you can get negative results by telephone, why do so many credible sites say you can't? Are they just being conservative? I find that a little misleading for someone who got their results the way I did.

Hey, I'm back. I had one other question and this one was more just out of curiosity. If you can get negative results by telephone, why do so many credible sites say you can't? Are they just being conservative? I find that a little misleading for someone who got their results the way I did.

It depends on the place. Many will require you go in face to face. It just depends. With all the privacy laws out there and the fact you can face huge fines if you disclose protected information (it can be 10,000 dollars, even prison time can be given to you), it just helps to cover their asses. HIPAA is a very good thing, but it can get hospitals and such going overboard to make sure it is not possible for them to have a HIPAA violation. I do not think it is technically against the law to give results over the form as long as you have the proper release, verify it is the right person, etc. Also, the nature of HIV is part of it. Especially if it is positive, many places like to give post test counseling. It could just be in your case, since you were a negative and as you said no risk, they felt it was more economical to tell you over the phone. That way the appointments are not taken up by people who really don't need to be there. But you just do not need to worry about getting results over the phone--it is not common practice, but you still have accurate results.

I removed your hijack of another thread last night and placed it here in your own thread. (then the website went down for a few hours as I was posting my reply...) Please only ask questions in your own thread and make sure you read our posting guidelines in the Welcome thread.

You were right, the anti-hiv properties of saliva is one factor that makes hiv transmission from giving a blowjob rare. Another factor is the scarcity of the type of cell that hiv can latch onto. There are only certain types that hiv can infect and they are not found in any great quantity in the mouth.

Coffeechick gave you the same answer to your second question as I did last night - but my post was lost because of the problem with the website.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Hi, I had another question that I forgot to ask the last time I posted here:

Is one negative HIV test over a year after possible exposure as definitive as a negative test at three to six months? Stupid question, I know, but you always hear about the three to six month mark, never any later. I waited over a year before I got a test. I was just making sure it didn't make a difference and that my results were still conclusive.

The CDC is quite conservative about when to test and for quite sometime it has advocated 13 weeks as a reliable testing point. The only exceptions are for someone who is an IV drug user or someone who has a severely depleted immune system through cancer treatment or like fairly catastrophic event.

Since I expect that neither of those apply to you, you can consider your test result to be reliable.

Don't start anymore new threads. Keep your questions and comments in one thread so that readers can follow the discussion.

Cheers,

Logged

Andy Velez

411

I know, but you always hear about the three to six month mark, never any later. I waited over a year before I got a test.

If you read those phrases carefully you'll note that they say at least 3 months after your last incident. Any test after 3 months is considered reliable unless some of the extenuating circumstances that Andy has referred to are factors in your life. Your year later negative is as good as a 3 month negative.

I've merged your new thread into your original thread - where you should post all your additional thoughts or questions. It helps us to help you when you keep all your additional thoughts or questions in one thread.

If you need help finding your thread when you come here, click on the "Show own posts" link under your name in the left-hand column of any forum page.

Please also read through the Welcome Thread so you can familiarize yourself with our Forum Posting Guidelines. Thank you for your cooperation.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Okay, thanks. The actual amount of time I waited was about 22 months, so I was wondering, if you wait that long to be tested, would a doctor still use the standard ELISA test or is there some other kind of test that would have to be used that I should have been made aware of when I was tested? I'm probably overanalyzing this but I would like to know.